Canadian Brewer to Launch Cannabis Beverages in America

Ontario craft brewer Collective Arts announced plans this week to launch a portfolio of beverages infused with cannabis and hemp. These would be available in Canada and the U.S.

Collective Arts is among a number of Canadian craft breweries with name-recognition in America. Their new cannabis products will be produced, marketed and sold under a sister company, Collective Project Limited, in late 2019 — pending anticipated government approvals for cannabis and hemp products.

At the end of 2018, the U.S. government greatly expanded the scope of legal CBD, by altering the country’s marijuana laws. This has paved the way for cannabis innovations like CBD beverages, which could become much more common in the years ahead.

“We push the boundaries when it comes to making beer and cider, and now cannabis; creativity, quality, and our relationships with our artists are at the core of what we do,” says Matt Johnston, CEO, and co-founder of Collective Arts. “Moving into a territory such as infused cannabis beverages gives us an ideal palate to be innovative, and also creates a new format for social experiences outside of alcohol.”

Collective Arts has applied for an R&D License, License for Standard Processing and a Licence for Sale pursuant to the Cannabis Regulations Ontario. Their intention is to produce these products at their current facility in Hamilton, Ontario, and a partner facility in the United States.

Collective Arts is in talks with licensed producers and infusion technology providers and will announce these partnerships later this year.